Crowne Plaza adds online charity initiative

Officials at the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial have introduced the Always On Charity Challenge, featuring nine competitors in this week’s PGA Tour stop in Fort Worth, to raise funds for local charities via social media.

Crowne Plaza will donate $90,000 to the tournament’s Birdies for Charity program in the name of the golfer with the most votes. The winning golfer also will receive an additional $10,000 put toward the charity of his choice. Nine fans who vote in the online challenge will have an opportunity to receive 90,000 IHG Reward Club points from Crowne Plaza.

The nine winners corresponds to the number of years Crowne Plaza has sponsored the Colonial tournament. Gina LaBarre, Crowne Plaza vice-president for brand management, said brand officials “wanted to pay homage to the relationship we have with the Fort Worth community” in their final year as the tournament title sponsor with a unique charitable initiative. The nine players were chosen, in part, because all are active on social media.

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Henry, a former TCU standout, said he hoped his “local flavor” would carry the day with voters and expressed gratitude for Crowne Plaza’s nine years of sponsorship at Colonial.

“I’m grateful for an organization like Crowne Plaza that has helped us through the years with this tournament and has been passionate about the charitable part of it,” Henry said. “They’ve been an incredible sponsor.”